21. Judas' words encouraged his men and made them willing to die for their religion and their country. He then divided his army into four divisions
22. of about 1,500 men each, with himself and his brothers Simon, Joseph, and Jonathan each in charge of a division.
23. After ordering Eleazar to read aloud from the holy book, he gave his men the battle-cry: “God will help us,” and personally led the attack against Nicanor.
24. Almighty God fought on their side, and they killed more than 9,000 of the enemy. They wounded many others and put the entire army to flight.
25. They seized the money from the people who had come to buy them as slaves. Then they pursued the enemy a long way, until they had to return,
26. because it was almost time for the Sabbath to begin.
27. When they had collected the enemy's weapons and looted the dead, they celebrated the Sabbath, praising the Lord and giving thanks to him, because he had brought them safely to that day and had given them the first sign of his mercy.
28. When the Sabbath was over, they gave some of the loot to the victims of persecution and to the widows and orphans; then they divided the rest among their own families.